3 Award Winning High School Pianists
Maria Horja is in 9th grade and 14 years old. She has been a student of multiple teachers including Rebecca Manalac and her mom, Milica Jelaca Jovanovic. She is currently studying piano with Judith Widrig. Maria was awarded 1st place at the Outstanding Artists Competition (2022) as well as WSMTA Chapter Competition in the preceding three years. She received recognitions at many festivals and competitions, including Gold Medals at the Bach Festival in Seattle, Russian Festival in Bellevue and at Les Cles D’Or (Prague 2021). Maria has performed at venues in Washington State, Canada, Serbia, and Romania, among others. She speaks three languages fluently and loves playing the violin and guitar besides piano.
Penelope Keep is 16 years old and a junior at Sehome High School. She has studied piano for 11 years with many wonderful teachers, including Dr. Judith Widrig and Dr. Rachel Matthews. She was a featured artist at Flower Piano Festival in the San Francisco Botanical Gardens in 2019, 2022 and 2023, and has been specially recognized almost every year since 2018 at the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival. Penelope has also received recognition at numerous competitions, including recent 1st places in the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2022), the NW Washington Solo and Ensemble Contest (2022, 2023), and the BMTA Chapter Competition (2022). She also loves playing saxophone and singing.
Chelsea Fortna is 15 and a sophomore at Sehome High School. She has played piano for ten years, and has studied with Ginny Snowe, Nancy Heyer, and currently, Judith Widrig. Her achievements thus far include second and third place at the Solo Ensemble Contest the past two years, an honorable mention in the Chapter Playoffs for the BMC last year, special recognition in the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival, and performance in the 2022 MAP honors recital. Chelsea enjoys playing music because of the creativity and challenge it brings. She also plays the cello at Sehome.
This event is not ticketed. However, cash donations of appreciation are gladly accepted.